Sleeping in This Position May Reduce Your Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

According to a new study by Stony Brook University, sleeping on your side has some potentially big-time benefits when it comes to preventing Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Researchers observed rodents sleeping in three types of positions—on their sides, backs and stomachs—and then measured how much waste was eliminated from their brains during their snooze session. They found that the rats that slept on their side were 25% more efficient at flushing out toxins in the brain, spinal cord and nervous system than those who slept on their back and stomach.

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The harmful substances the researchers were most concerned about were amyloid beta and tau proteins, which can get stuck in the brain when there's a buildup of the proteins.

"When amyloid beta builds up it can form aggregated plaques, which are very difficult for the brain to get rid of," Helene Benveniste, the lead author of the study, told Yahoo Health. And according to the Alzheimer's Association, these plaques are believed to be a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

So why does sleeping on your side help? Because "it encourages the flow of cerebrospinal fluid throughout the brain," Benveniste said, which is what helps to clear these toxins from our noggin.

Tonight when you're hunkering down for some shut-eye, reconsider your go-to sleeping position and try catching some zzz's on your side. It can't hurt, right?